Top 5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Recovery Coach
Whether you are new to recovery, or even if you have quite some clean or sober time under your belt, you may feel as though whatever program you have (or haven’t) worked on hasn’t fully helped you to satisfy what goals you may have had or currently have in mind to achieve. You’ve taken the drugs and/or alcohol out of your life, but you still feel like something is missing; you haven’t worked on the underlying issues you have had for many years or even your whole life, and they still seem to be holding you back from reaching that next level in life, your greatest version. These issues can range anywhere from tangible, financial goals such as paying off debt or re-acquiring your driver’s license… Or something internal, like making amends to those you have harmed, or forgiving those who have done harm to you in the past. Whatever it is, you may be considering hiring a Certified Recovery Coach, and there will certainly be some questions you want to ask before doing so. Here are a few of the most important questions to ask before Hiring a Recovery Coach to help you stay clean and sober, and to set and achieve goals to help you level up in your life.
- WHY do I want/need to work with a Recovery Coach?
The first question I’d ask myself if I’m considering hiring a Recovery Coach is “Why?”. Well, the first answer to that is “because I am questioning myself this in the first place…”. Why do you want to stay clean and sober? Is it affecting your work, your life, your family? Even if you don’t drink or use anymore, is my mindset still that of an addict or alcoholic; negative in general? Do I have depression and anxiety over things I can’t control? Am I unable to accept these things as they are? Do I simply lack the motivation to move up in my life or at work, and can’t seem to get a grip on why my inspirations are only temporary? A Certified Recovery Coach can help us get to the root cause of all our underlying issues that cause us not only to drink or use in the first place, but also help us find out why we are where we are, and how to move forward. So, the real question is, why do you want more out of life? Let your Recovery Coach help you to find these answers.
- Should I hire a PEER Recovery Coach or a PROFESSIONAL Recovery Coach?
This question depends on your own experience in recovery or lack thereof. A Peer Recovery Coach works with you based on their own experiences, and what has worked for them. If you’re looking to work with a Peer Recovery Coach, it is best that they can relate to the situations you are seeking help to deal with. On the other hand, A Professional Recovery Coach will use a variety of strategies including navigation, engagement, accompaniment, and reduction of lapses/relapses, or relapse prevention techniques.
- WHAT do I need a Recovery Coach to help me with?
Whether it is yourself or a loved one that needs help with addiction, a Professional Recovery Coach can help their client stay actively involved in treatment that is scientifically backed to work, or evidence-based. This will help remove the stressors that affect you and your family members in a negative manner. On top of that, a Recovery Coach can help with strategic activity planning and even goal setting with the client.
- Do I need the approach to be 12-Step or Evidence-Based?
Everyone’s addiction and the reason behind it, just like everyone’s recovery, is different. Evidence-based coaching can use treatment that is known to work to get you or your loved one off the drugs or alcohol, such as detox, medication-assisted treatment, or inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation. The 12-Steps, on the other hand, usually can come after detox or MAT and can either be taught in meetings, or in sober living environments. 12-Steps will teach you in order; how to admit your powerlessness over addiction, find a higher power, make amends with those you have hurt or with who have hurt you, and keep self-inventory on a daily basis. Overall, 12-Step programs can help get to all the underlying issues and character defects you may have, and how to deal with them and accept things you cannot control; to deal with life on life’s terms, not your own.
- WHERE do I need to work with my Recovery Coach?
Most Recovery Coaches you find online will focus on accompanying you, meaning they will work with you at their place of work, meetings, or other recovery activities or events you may attend throughout your program of recovery. Most Professional Recovery Coaches, however, will work remotely over the phone, over skype, text, or email. Depending on whether you work with a peer or professional Recovery Coach may likely affect where you will work with your Recovery Coach. So, depending on your needs, it is important to find out whether you want to hire a Recovery Coach locally, or remotely. Personally, many people feel that those in-person meetings are an important part of hiring a Recovery Coach to help them work on underlying issues, accompany them at meetings, and help them find a sponsor that can do them work through the 12 steps.
As I stated earlier, everyone’s recovery is different, and what works for me is not necessarily what will work for you in the same ways, if at all. A Certified Recovery Coach can be a very important part of one’s recovery from addiction to drugs and/or alcohol, and when hiring a Recovery Coach it is of the utmost importance that you ask yourself many questions, including these above in order to determine why you should hire a Recovery Coach, what type of program may work for you, and overall, what type of Recovery Coach best suits your needs.
Questions? Call us at 1.800.706.0318 to see if we are a good fit for your needs.
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